Savoring the Scripture
II Timothy 3:14-17
Purpose: To highlight the importance that Scripture plays.
Aim: I want the listener to determine to saturate their lives with the Word of God.
INTRODUCTION: America is having a junk food crisis. More Americans are overweight than ever before and junk food is primarily responsible. Surveys have proven that we would rather eat greasy hamburgers and Tasty Cakes than well balanced nutritional meals – and many of us have the waistlines to prove it.
America is also having a spiritual junk food crisis. The problem we are facing is a vast ignorance of God’s truth revealed in the Bible.
A new survey conducted by the Barna Research Group reveals widespread ignorance of common Christian terms. Researchers asked a sample group of 1,210 adults to define Great Commission, evangelical, John 3:16, and gospel. In each case, only a small minority gave accurate answers. Even “born-again Christians” had trouble answering.
Only nine percent of the respondents accurately defined Great Commission. About 75 percent of born-again Christians could not offer a definition.
• Eighteen percent of the respondents correctly defined evangelical, with 57 percent of born-again Christians unable to give a definition.
• Twenty-five percent of the respondents gave accurate or partially accurate descriptions of John 3:16, and half of the born-again Christians could not offer a definition.
• Thirty-seven percent of the respondents correctly defined gospel, and 16 percent of born-again Christians could not offer a definition.
• These terms “clearly do not convey the intended meaning to the masses,” concluded George Barna, president of Barna Research Group. “The fact that so few of the insiders understand the meaning of these terms also suggests that the Christian church in this country would be wise to invest in training people about the basic principles and concepts of the Christian faith.” [Moody Monthly, April, 1994, p. 60. 10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
There was a Bible knowledge test published by the Vancouver Sun. Here are some of the answers given by people who said they knew the Bible.
1. Who was Noah’s wife? The most popular answer was
Joan of Ark.
2. What is the 7th commandment? “Thou shalt not admit adultery.”
3. What are the epistles in the Bible? The most popular answer was that they were wives of the apostles.
4. What happened to Lot’s wife? Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night.
We might smile at these answers, but they show a real ignorance of what the Bible says.
We need to get off of spiritual junk food, and feed on the real and well-balanced meals that the Lord has provided. Too many are feasting on the entertainment junk food that Hollywood dishes out. As a result, we are sluggish and confused about how life works.
Truth, on the other hand, is always true. It is true whether we believe it or not. Truth is true even if doesn’t feel true. Truth can only be revealed. Truth can never be invented by anyone. Many people think that they can find truth by studying the major religions and then picking out the best in each one, but truth is not found in our wisdom. Truth only comes from God. So lets spend a few minutes discovering the advantages of feeding on the Bible.
REVIEW:
1:1-2:13 I. How Should a Christian React to Stress?
2:14-26 II. How Should a Christian Relate to Fellow Believers?
3:1-17 III. How Can a Christian Reside in a Hostile Culture?
Vs.1 A. See the big picture
1. Jesus may come at any time “in the last days”
2. Serving Christ is hard “difficult times will come”
Vs.2-4 B. Identify evil
Vs.5-9 C. Identify religious imposters
Vs.10-13 D. Practice the spiritual disciplines
Vs.10 1. Faithfully pursue godliness “followed my...”
a. Learn the Word “my teaching”
b. Live the Word “conduct”
c. Know your goal “purpose”
d. Live as if God is right “faith”
e. Be patient with difficult people “patience”
f. Love all the time “love”
g. Never allow circumstances to stop you “perseverance”
Vs.11a 2. Expect opposition “persecutions and sufferings”
Vs.11b 3. Trust in God’s faithfulness “the Lord rescued me”
Vs.12 4. Remember that all believers have similar challenges “all will be persecuted”
Vs.13 5. Don’t expect the enemy to give up “proceed from bad to worse”
LESSON:
Vs.14-17 E. Follow the Scripture
In verse 13 Paul was warning us to not even think about running away from godliness so that our lives will be easier. ✔ “It is better to be persecuted for godliness than to have a fun time duped by the devil.” John Piper
There is an interesting contrast between verses 13 & 14. Verse 13 talks about “evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse,” PROCEED means to “to advance” or “go forward.” But then, Paul tells Timothy in verse 14 to CONTINUE which means “remain, stay, abide.” In other words, evil men are always advancing to something different, something new, something “better.” Timothy, on the other hand, is supposed to stay right where he is.
We should NEVER move on from the Scripture. The Bible is not an elementary school that we graduate from in order to move on to other teaching or ideas.
Don’t ever look away from Scripture in order to find “deeper” truth. The Scripture is more than deep enough already.
✔ We serve God by stepping out by faith, but we should never step away from Scripture.
If we ever leave the plain teaching of the Bible, we will end up conforming to the world. Then we become slaves to every passing whim of the world’s ideas, which are constantly changing.
We don’t want to ever “advance” to something new, or go to something more “up-to-date” because the Bible is all we need.
This is why we need to,
Vs.14a 1. Have a commitment to Scripture “continue in the things you have learned”
Timothy had already heard Paul say, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16 NAU)
✔ True Bible teachers NEVER feel a need to go beyond the Bible. False teachers always focus on their own unique thoughts.
Knowing the Bible is not enough. If you love Christ you will continue to follow Christ. John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; (NAU)
Vs.14b 2. Have a conviction about Scripture “become convinced of”
You will never really become convinced of the value of Scripture until you check it out for yourself. “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11 NAU)
There is a difference between learning about the Bible and having a conviction about the Bible. ✔ There is a big difference between taking hold of the Bible and letting the Bible take hold of you.
When you read the Bible for yourself and the Spirit opens your heart to what it says, it becomes apart of you.
Vs.14c-15a 3. See the change that Scripture makes “from whom you have learned them”
Timothy had seen the dramatic effects that the Word of God had on Paul. Look back at verses 10-11. Paul was the same person who used to persecute Christians, now he was the one being persecuted for being a Christian. What a change!! He used to be filled with hate and blind ambition, now he was filled with love for Christ and a passion for others to find Him too.
Timothy could also look back and see the change that God’s word made in his family. 2 Timothy 1:5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. (NAU)
Look at the lives of those who teach you the Bible. They may be accused of some awful things – so was Christ – but sincere teachers of the Bible will allow the Bible to change them, too. Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (NAU)
Vs.15b 4. Remember the change Scripture made in you “wisdom that leads to salvation”
There is great wisdom in just trusting what the Bible says. Jesus reminds us of the difference between being wise and being foolish in Matthew 7:24-27 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (NAU)
Does your faith in Christ survive great trials? If it does, then your faith is resting on the unchanging truths about Christ.
Those who trust God’s Word will never be ashamed! Isaiah 40:6-8 6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. (NAU)
✔ The written Word points you to Christ, the living Word, so you can trust Christ to forgive your sin. John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; (NAU)
Jesus is the truth that sets you free. John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (NAU) John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NAU)
Notice that it takes FAITH to unleash the power of God’s Word: “salvation through faith.” Christ’s death purchased our salvation, and Christ’s life enables us to live for Him.
Romans 5:8-10 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [preserved] by His life. (NAU)
Our forgiveness is eternal because the One who provided it is eternal. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (NAU)
Apart from Christ we can do NOTHING. John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NAU)
[Salvation] is not through good works, baptism, church membership, confirmation, obeying the Ten Commandments, keeping the Golden Rule, or in any other way that involves human effort or merit. [MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary - Old and New Testaments (2 Ti 3v15). Nashville - Thomas Nelson.]
CONCLUSION: Are you interested in feed on God’s Word? If you have a hunger to learn God’s Word then we have a desire to help you learn it. Let me know, and we will find someone who will sit down and study the Scripture with you.
✔ Learn to savor the Word instead of the World.
How do we do that?
✔ Read the Scripture, not only as a history, but as a love–letter sent to you from God. – Thomas Watson
If you love the God who wrote the Word, then you will learn to love His Word.
